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franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
oul Origin is one of the most exciting franchises to hit the local food
industry in recent times and presents a standout business opportunity.
Launched in Australia in 2011, the franchise is anchored on a passion
for ‘food and family’, as well as customer connection and service. It’s a
concept inspired by co-founder Hao Quach’s experience as a young man
growing up in Sydney, when specialty coffee stores were tucked away in
the city’s back lanes.
“There was a gaping hole in the market, back then, for food that was
freshly made daily, especially in the food halls,” he recalls.
Five Soul Origin stores were launched within the first two years, proving
the business’s franchise formula while building a full support team for
training, operations, finance, IT and marketing.
Popularity soared; Soul Origin went on to open 100 stores in just
three years. Today, there are 160 across Australia. And now, it’s
New Zealand’s turn.
The first two stores are already successfully up and running – one at
Auckland’s Mānawa Bay outlet shopping centre and another inside
the city’s domestic airport terminal. A third is due to open in the
international airport terminal in early 2025.
A franchisee’s perspective
Chirayu Patel (CJ) has been a Soul Origin franchise partner since 2018,
owning as many as eight stores. CJ had always wanted to own and
operate a food business when he heard about Soul Origin through
a friend.
“The demand for good coffee and healthy, nutritious food is at an all-
time high and Soul Origin has successfully positioned itself within this
healthy QSR market segment,” he says.
Seeing Soul Origin stores in operation and talking with existing franchise
partners gave him the confidence to invest. Now, CJ has crossed the
Tasman to be the first New Zealand franchisee.
“It’s amazing to be part of history,” he says. “We’re grateful to Soul
Origin and its founders for trusting us with this great opportunity.”
CJ says the experience has met all expectations and he likes how he is
treated as a franchise partner. “They have an excellent support network.
Help is always available. They listen to us as franchise partners and are
both accommodating and practical.”
No compromises
The Soul Origin franchise has been successfully set up in New Zealand
with a solid supply chain that doesn’t compromise quality and taste.
CJ says the franchise ensured he is fully educated on New Zealand’s
employment rules and his roles and responsibilities as an employer.
“When we first opened, a support team was with us for almost two weeks
to help train the crew and ensure our day-to-day operations are running
smoothly. We also have a wonderful area coach who visits frequently and
is just a phone call away whenever we need any help.”
He says feedback from customers on the
coffee and food, and whole experience,
has been overwhelmingly positive.
All about the customer
“We treat every customer how we want
to be treated,” explains Hao. “That’s
the difference. Our philosophy is to be the
perfect host, to treat each customer as our
guest. We’re not there just to
take orders.”
He emphasises Soul Origin’s family eco-
system ensures every franchisee is ‘plugged-
in’. “You’re part of a family,” he says. “And
we encourage good ideas to be passed on to
other franchisees. It’s a sharing eco-system
that everyone benefits from.”
Supported all the way
Support for Soul Origin franchisees is like a four-legged stool, says
Hao; the support legs represent partners, suppliers, landlords and the
franchise. To ensure franchise candidates fully understand the business,
they’re connected with other franchisees, lawyers and accountants.
A ‘discovery day’ allows potential franchisees to spend time in store. This
is followed by a six-week training programme. Once franchisees are set-
up in their own Soul Origin store, they receive ongoing, comprehensive in
store training and marketing support to ensure they remain up to speed.
Cutting edge technology is deployed on a catering portal, as well as a
local delivery service and online ordering platform, which lets customers
place their orders in advance.
Options to suit
Additional Soul Origin franchise opportunities in New Zealand will be
revealed over the next 12 months. Hao says opening further franchise
sites will involve a process around site selection and choosing franchise
partners using a careful selection criterion.
There are different models to suit the market and budgets, he explains,
ranging from the smallest kiosk-style franchises in local shopping
centres to ‘normal’ size models, which make up the bulk of existing
franchises, as well as high-end models at international airports.
Now’s the time to express an interest, says Hao. “We want you to have
as much information from existing
franchisees as possible, to help
you make your decision.” And, after
talking with customers at the new
Mānawa Bay store, he’s impressed by
the level of local excitement around
the arrival of a bright new brand with
big promise, suggesting the decision
to invest ought to be an easy one.
So good, so Soul origin
For the love
of food
Opportunity: Food & Beverage
Soul Origin’s popular food and
barista-crafted coffee is quickly
capturing Kiwi hearts and tastebuds.
Soul Origin
www.soulorigin.co.nz/
pages/franchising
Contact
Karla Shand
0061 0439 611 962
karlas@soulorigin.com.au
Advertiser Info
Fresh franchise opportunities with Soul Origin